The “Internet of Things” has made it possible for almost any device in the home or office to connect to the Internet. Internet connectivity may be used to allow a user to remotely control the operation of many devices, or to receive data from any remote device. Such devices typically connect to the Internet by using wi-fi and connecting to the user's wireless router.
Typically, a device such as a light fixture, a fish tank, a refrigerator, or a similar device, only needs to connect to a particular server in order to perform the function it needs to perform. For example, a refrigerator may only need to connect to the website of a grocery store to allow it to communicate that certain food items need reordering, but may not necessarily need to connect to any other server. However, a wi-fi connection would give the refrigerator full access to the Internet, and a sufficiently determined hacker could gain access to any other device in the wi-fi network by breaching security at the level of the refrigerator, the light switch, or any other device in the Internet of Things. Since more and more devices are now acquiring Internet connectivity, this would mean an extremely costly security effort to protect every single Internet-connected appliance in the home.
Another problem with the current state of the art in Internet-connected devices is that they typically require an initial setup step to be “paired” to an Internet router. While this improves security, since something like a flowerpot or a refrigerator does not usually have a display or a user interface, the setup step is likely to be rather laborious. Also, if an Internet-connected device is paired to a particular Internet router, taking it to a different location requires that the setup step be performed all over again.
A need therefore exists for a more secure alternative protocol that does not require a setup step at each location of use.